Darden Restaurants Overview

Industry
Hospitality
Revenue
Headquarters
Employees
175,000
Founded In
Website
Organization Type
Public
CEO
Darden Restaurants, Inc. is a full service restaurant company. As of May 26, 2013, the Company operated through subsidiaries 2,138 restaurants in the United States and Canada. In the United States, it operated 2,105 restaurants in all 50 states, including 822 Olive Garden, 678 Red Lobster, 430 LongHorn Steakhouse, 49 The Capital Grille, 44 Yard House, 33 Bahama Breeze, 31 Seasons 52, nine Eddie V's Prime Seafood, six test synergy restaurants (which house both a Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurant in the same building) and three Wildfish Seafood Grille restaurants. As of May 26, 2013, it operated 33 restaurants, including 27 Red Lobster and six Olive Garden restaurants in Canada. Through subsidiaries, the Company owns and operates all of its restaurants in the United States and Canada, except for three restaurants located in Florida and three restaurants in California.
The staff at Darden Restaurants come from unusually diverse demographic backgrounds. The company is 57.6% female and 37.2% ethnic minorities. Darden Restaurants employees are slightly more likely to be members of the Democratic Party than the Republican Party, with 63.0% of employees identifying as members of the Democratic Party. Despite their political differences, employees at Darden Restaurants seem to be happy. The company has great employee retention with staff members usually staying for 3.8 years. The average employee at Darden Restaurants makes $31,062 per year. In comparison, some of its highest paying competitors, like Yum! Brands, Dunkin Brands, and The Capital Grille, pay $48,128, $47,084, and $37,600, respectively.
Based in Orlando, FL, Darden Restaurants is an industry leader with 175,000 employees and an annual revenue of $9.6B.

The Organization’s Mission

Darden Restaurants, our core purpose is to nourish and delight everyone we serve.

Perks of Working at Darden Restaurants

Darden offers medical coverage, paid vacation, an annual bonus award, tuition reimbursement, retirement plans, dining discounts, and other perks.

4.0/5

Employee Reviews

Based On 20 Ratings

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Job Openings
5,402 Positions
Average Salary
$31,062 yearly

Darden Restaurants Reviews

Employee Reviews

4.5/5
Work At Darden Restaurants? Share Your Experience

Employee Reviews

5.0
Jul 2022
Pros

It’s a very nice work environment

Cons

The money is not the best

Benefits

A lot of good food

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4.0
Apr 2022
Pros

My coworkers really made it a great place to work, free food, good atmosphere.

Cons

Some managers can be incompetent, some days can be very stressful, wildly flexible schedule.

Benefits

Free food.

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5.0
Nov 2021
Pros

The employees

Cons

Some of the employees did not like doing their job and put it off on others

Benefits

Free food

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Management
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Diversity and Inclusion
Career Opportunities

The Culture At Darden Restaurants

Information provided by the company

The Team At Darden Restaurants

Key People

Eugene Lee Jr.

Bill Darden

The Inside Scoop

Darden Restaurants Rankings

Darden Restaurants is ranked #29 on the Best Hospitality Companies to Work For in Florida list. Zippia's Best Places to Work lists provide unbiased, data-based evaluations of companies. Rankings are based on government and proprietary data on salaries, company financial health, and employee diversity.

Read more about how we rank companies.

Darden Restaurants Salaries

9.2
Salary Score
The national average salary for a Darden Restaurants employee in the United States is $31,062 per year. Employees in the top 10 percent can make over $56,000 per year, while employees at the bottom 10 percent earn less than $17,000 per year.
Average Darden Restaurants Salary
$14.93
hourly
$31,062 yearly
Updated March 16, 2023
Average Employee Earnings

Highest Paying Jobs At Darden Restaurants

RankJob TitleAvg. SalaryHourly Rate
1Manager$98,780$47
2Corporate Trainer$70,001$34
3Certified Trainer$66,990$32
4Culinary Assistant$33,077$16
5Service Assistant$33,043$16
6Line Cook$32,931$16
7Prep Cook$31,905$15
8Server$30,249$15
9Dish Washer$28,364$14
10Cashier$28,071$14
11Hostess$27,417$13
12Bartender$26,704$13
13Waitress$24,704$12
14Dish Machine Operator$24,374$12
15Busser$24,368$12

Darden Restaurants Diversity

9.8
Diversity Score
We calculated the diversity score of companies by measuring multiple factors, including the ethnic background, gender identity, and language skills of their workforce.

Darden Restaurants Gender Distribution

Male
Male
42%
Female
Female
58%

Research Summary. Using a database of 30 million profiles, Zippia estimates demographics and statistics for Darden Restaurants. Our estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Darden Restaurants has 175,000 employees.

  • 58% of Darden Restaurants employees are women, while 42% are men.

  • The most common ethnicity at Darden Restaurants is White (63%).

  • 16% of Darden Restaurants employees are Hispanic or Latino.

  • 12% of Darden Restaurants employees are Black or African American.

  • The average employee at Darden Restaurants makes $31,062 per year.

  • Darden Restaurants employees are most likely to be members of the democratic party.

  • On average, employees at Darden Restaurants stay with the company for 3.8 years.

Biggest Darden Restaurants Locations

RankCityJob CountAvg. Salary
1New York, NY28$34,582
2Houston, TX17$26,759
3Philadelphia, PA15$28,182
4Los Angeles, CA13$35,172
5San Antonio, TX12$27,165
6San Jose, CA9$34,992
7San Diego, CA8$35,041
8Chicago, IL7$26,981
9Phoenix, AZ7$32,283
10Dallas, TX5$26,231

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Darden Restaurants Employee Political Affiliation

Darden Restaurants employees are most likely to be members of the Democratic Party. The largest donation made to a political party by a Darden Restaurants employee was by Clarence Otis Jr. Clarence Otis Jr donated $68,700 to the Democratic Party.

Darden Restaurants

Parties

Democratic Party

63.4 %
-

Republican Party

34.8 %
-

Libertarian Party

1.2 %
-

Other

0.6 %
-
Employee Political Donations
NameJob TitlePartyDonation
Clarence Otis JrChief Executive OfficerDemocratic Party$68,700
Mark GilleyMarket ResearcherDemocratic Party$22,375
Clarence OtisChief Executive OfficerDemocratic Party$20,200
Susan ConnellyState DirectorDemocratic Party$17,000
KIM LopdrupExecutiveRepublican Party$16,100
Eugene Lee JrChief Executive OfficerRepublican Party$15,000
Robert McAdamSenior Vice PresidentRepublican Party$14,000
Eugene LeeChief Executive OfficerRepublican Party$12,700
Matthew BroadGeneral CounselDemocratic Party$12,000
Danielle KirganHuman Resource OfficerRepublican Party$10,000
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Darden Restaurants Employment Videos

Darden Restaurants Financial Performance

8.0
Performance Score
We calculated the performance score of companies by measuring multiple factors, including revenue, longevity, and stock market performance.

Darden Restaurants Annual Revenue

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$8B
$6B
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$2B
$0
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Darden Restaurants Subsidiaries

Subsidiaries to Darden Restaurants include RARE Hospitality International, The Capital Grille, and Seasons 52. Employees at the parent company, Darden Restaurants, earn $31,062. In comparison, the salaries at RARE Hospitality International, The Capital Grille, and Seasons 52 are $57,299, $37,600, and $31,608.
Company
ascdesc
Average Salarydesc

RARE Hospitality International

Salary Range38k - 86k$57k$57,299

The Capital Grille

Salary Range28k - 49k$38k$37,600
Seasons 52
Salary Range25k - 39k$32k$31,608
Bahama Breeze
Salary Range23k - 41k$31k$31,460
$23k
$86k

Highest Paying Darden Restaurants Competitors

Based on our research, similar companies to Darden Restaurants are Yum! Brands, Dunkin Brands, and The Capital Grille. The wages at Yum! Brands average higher than the other similar companies, where the median salary is $48,128 per year. Employees at Dunkin Brands earn an average of $47,084 per year, and the employees at The Capital Grille earn an average salary of $37,600 per year.

Frequently Asked Questions about Darden Restaurants

When was Darden Restaurants founded?

Darden Restaurants was founded in 1968.

How many Employees does Darden Restaurants have?

Darden Restaurants has 175,000 employees.

How much money does Darden Restaurants make?

Darden Restaurants generates $9.6B in revenue.

What industry is Darden Restaurants in?

Darden Restaurants is in the hospitality industry.

What is Darden Restaurants's mission?

Darden Restaurants's mission statement is "Darden Restaurants, our core purpose is to nourish and delight everyone we serve."

What type of company is Darden Restaurants?

Darden Restaurants is a public company.

Who are Darden Restaurants's competitors?

Darden Restaurants competitors include Yum! Brands, Chili's Grill & Bar, Wendy's, Panera Bread, Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee's Canada, Noodles & Company, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Dunkin Brands, Seasons 52, Red Lobster, The Capital Grille, Outback Steakhouse, Ruby Tuesday, Bahama Breeze, Red Robin, TGI Fridays, Denny's, Texas Roadhouse, Joe's Crab Shack.

Who works at Darden Restaurants?

Eugene Lee Jr. (CEO)

Bill Darden (Founder)

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Darden Restaurants FAQs

Does Darden Restaurants Drug Test?

Yes, Darden Restaurants does drug tests. The company is known to sometimes drug screen employees during the hiring process. However, this depends on the individual location and manager.

The only other time Darden Restaurants requires a drug screen for an employee is when they are suspected of coming to work under the influence. Although, the company is known to assist current employees in getting into drug treatment programs. If the employee is willing, they may not lose their job in this circumstance.

What Is The Dress Code At Darden Restaurants?

The dress code at Darden Restaurants depends on the role you hold. Managers have a business casual dress code.

While other employees must wear all black dress clothes - black slacks, black button-up shirt, and black dress shoes.

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Darden Restaurants, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Darden Restaurants. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Darden Restaurants. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Darden Restaurants. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Darden Restaurants and its employees or that of Zippia.

Darden Restaurants may also be known as or be related to Darden, Darden Concepts, Inc., Darden Restaurants, Darden Restaurants Inc, Darden Restaurants, Inc., olive garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.